Ballater and Crathie Eagle 105 Spring 2022

EAGLE

Spring 2022

Ballater and Crathie

105

£1 where sold

EAGLE 105 inside:

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elcome to the Spring Edition of the Eagle.

The Eagle is produced by a small team of dedicated people who work hard to bring you each edition. Volunteers are always welcome.

THE TEAM Ron Drever........................... Editor Mike Forbes ........................ Treasurer Avril Fyfe ............................. Subscriptions Bill Braid .............................. Distribution Dominique Drewe-Martin .. Advertising Daniel Drewe-Martin .......... Design Kirstin Bradley .................... Design Karen Garioch ..................... General assistance Angus Davidson ................. Proof reader/Auditor Ruth Burrows ...................... Proof reader Geoff Feeney ...................... Correspondent Cover Photo ........................ Ballater Lambs

Editorial Playpark Improvements Pop-Up Soft Play Ballater Films Tennis Club Floral Art Group Ballater Clinic Ballateers Duck Festival A Walk In The Park Business Association Walking Festival 2022 Royal Horticultural Victoria & Albert Halls @ the halls Climate Action Network Resilience Group Ballater Library History Focus Calgacus Probus Club Crathie School Jubilee 2022 Crathie Community Project Pottering About BCCC Highland Games Churches Ballater Hub Councillor Matters National Park Musing Cats Protection Crime in Ballater Victoria Week Masonic Lodge History Focus Advertisers Index

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From the Editor...

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irst and foremost, from myself and the Eagle Team, may we wish you all a very healthy and happy 2022. Friends well know my love of Beatles music, as I lived through teenage years by purchasing and playing every Beatles record. In the words from a song of the immortal John Lennon, which I feel appropriate to the new year, “let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear”.

Since the compilation of the last Eagle, we have experienced the horrendous Storm Arwen in November with its winds causing devastating damage and a complete power outage, including loss of all digital communications. It lasted some three days, inclusive of our Winter Festival Saturday. The community survived, helped by the tremendous efforts of our local Resilience Group. I hope you will all join with me in wholeheartedly congratulating the Group’s volunteer leaders and their volunteer helpers who were fantastic in organising assistance for those in our community most in need.

After recovering from Arwen, 2022 promised better times, but ‘blow me’ (ha!ha!) we then suffered Storms Malik and Corrie in quick succession. Our wonderful Resilience Group had to again swing into action, and again each time organised much needed assistance where and when needed.

The storms, and the example of how our Resilience Group coped with them and liaised with Aberdeenshire Council and the Emergency Services, have encouraged our neighbouring villages to look at establishing their own Groups, with the Ballater Resilience Plan being upheld as the benchmark. Congratulations to our Group!

Following the easing of Covid restrictions, it’s good to hear of some of our annual events looking to restart this year, and local groups beginning to meet again.

The Walking Festival takes place in May, and the Duck Festival is being planned for early July to avoid clashing with events over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.

With the Highland Games and Victoria Week in August, the BBA Bike Festival, and the Winter Festival, it looks like a busy year ahead!

Unfortunately, some local groups have indicated that their membership is falling, as ageing members are able to do less, and no new and younger members are coming forward. It is sad to hear that about the Horticultural Society and the Bowling Club for example. If you have any interest in the activities of any local group, do think about joining and enjoying yourself in the company of friends.

As regards the Eagle Team, Elaine has of course flown the nest to retirement, and Mike Forbes has now taken over as Treasurer. We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to Ruth Burrows, who joins the Team as a second proof-reader, and hope she enjoys her time with us.

To end with another John Lennon saying seems appropriate after the difficult times with the storms and Covid: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Editor Ron

Useful Infomation...

Contact The Eagle: Hand deliver to the V&A Halls (Albert Halls letterbox) Phone: 013397 56224 Email: eagleballater@gmail.com Post: Ballater Eagle, c/o V&A Halls, Station Square, Ballater AB35 5QB How to Advertise: Cost per issue Full Back Page: £200, Full page: £120, 1/2 page: £60, 1/4 page: £30, 1/8 page: £15, 10% Discount on 4-block issues, advert can be changed with each issue 1,800 copies are hand-delivered across the village and into outlying areas Large Print Eagle: If you would like a Large Print Version of The Eagle please contact the Eagle.

Articles + Advertising Deadlines: May 1 for mid-June publication August 1 for mid-June publication Nov 1 for mid-December publication Feb 1 for mid-March publication Subscribe to the Eagle: Simply provide the name and address to whom issues should be sent, with a chque to ‘Ballater Eagle’ for the relevant amount.

Alternatively, email the Eagle for electronic ways to pay.

Rates for 4 issues (posted): UK £15 - EU £20 - Overseas £30 Eagle Online: You can read earlier editions online at: www.issuu.com/ballatereagle

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Ballater Playpark Improvements Group

by Cat Houston

The Piglet Sale! Sunday 20th March, 10am till 4pm SELL YOUR KIDS’ clothes | toys | equipment | etc.

Take a table in the Victoria Hall, Station Square, Ballater for £12, and sell your own stuff.

Alternatively, simply donate clean, complete and resalable items you don’t want to the Community Hub in Station Square by Saturday March 19th. They will be sold to raise funds for Ballater PIG (Playpark Improvements Group). See their new Facebook page for details/contacts.

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Pop-Up Soft Play News From April 7 on Thursdays, 10am to 12noon, Pop-up Soft Play will be back on the Church Green.

See “Pop-up Soft Play Ballater” on Facebook for details.

Book at: www.visitballater.com/eventstickets/ lizziescripps@gmail.com

Ballater Films

by Ade Scripps

Ballater Films should be back!

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opefully by the time you read this we’ll have already shown at least three films - the amazing ‘No Time to Die’; the new smash hit Disney Film ‘Encanto’ (in aid of Crathie School Parent Council); and the heart-warming ‘Dream Horse’ (to raise awareness of the

Ballater Pantry).

We still have a whole heap of films to get through, including the multi awardnominated ‘Dune’; Spielberg’s version of ‘West Side Story’; and Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’. Also, we are joining Ballater’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations to show ‘A Royal Night Out’.

Time Flies....we’re planning to go back to our roots for BVW with the 10-year anniversary of ‘Brave’, and we hope to have the Big Bike Film Night back as part of the new Thrive Festival.

Hopefully by the time you read this a new sound system will be in the Victoria Hall, with a new whizzy projector (it’s got lasers... exciting!) so things are moving on. We are grateful for the support of the Halls and NEAT in all our projects.

As always, we need help. If you fancy joining Ballater Films, it is great fun.

Just let us know via Facebook, our new email: ballaterfilms@ outlook.com, or pop into the HUB when open.

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Ballater Tennis Club

by Alison McIntosh

Courts funding Update

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e launched our fundraising in 2021 with a goal of £20,000, and at the year end had reached almost £19,000.

Our latest planned budget is close to £25,000 to complete the full works, with a planned start date of Spring 2022.

We are very grateful to all our contributors; your support has been very encouraging. We raised £3000 at our fundraising event at the Golf Club, and have had significant donations from the groups below, plus some very generous individual donations.

Marr Area Partnership The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund BRD / Ballater Caravan Park Ballater Charitable Chiels Estate of John & Judith Edrich Our JustGiving page raised almost £2000 and has been relaunched to help us raise the balance of funds we still need.

Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful with our National Lottery grant application and, as a result, are still some £6000 short of the funds needed to complete the project.

We wanted to share our progress with everyone who has supported us so far.

Should you be aware of any additional possible routes to funding please do get in touch. 

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Floral Art Group

by Evelyne Baikie

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ello Everyone Here we are into a New Year and, thank goodness, with some hope that we can again start to have meetings of sorts. If all goes to plan, we are hoping to have our first group meeting on March 17th. If this happens, and all is well, we plan to have our long-awaited AGM on April 14th. These meetings, both having demonstrations, will only take place if the virus stays at the levels which allow us to meet. We will post more information nearer the times, so fingers crossed.

I do hope you are all coping with what has already been a stressful few weeks. We just seem to get over one thing and another is waiting in the wings. Thank goodness for neighbours. Not having power and, for some, no water, is by far the scariest.

Relying on electronics has made us all very vulnerable, but just remember some have no food through no fault of their own and need support. Sharing food through the food larder would have been unthinkable in a place like Ballater a few years ago, but very necessary in recent months. Sharing is caring.

How are the plans for your gardens going this year? I am sure you

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will have heard from the Ballater Royal Horticulture Society that they are desperately looking for people to join the committee to help run the Annual Show.

If a few more people don’t come forward the Show may not be able to go ahead, and that would be very sad after all these years. Please if you have an interest, do contact the committee. I really hope we can still have a Show.

Returning to gardens, despite all that is around us, the wee heads of the snowdrops are looking up once more for me the sign of hope. I just love spring flowers, and the snowdrops’ wee heads are a reminder that things just keep moving, and nature just keeps moving in its rhythm.

Here’s hoping 2022 proves to be a better year for all, and, like nature, some kind of rhythm takes over and we can all begin to plan for a healthier future. Meeting up again will cheer us all up, and sharing happier times together is a must.

Stay Safe and Happy Gardening - success with planting whatever it is that interests you and the family. 

Ballater Clinic

by Maureen Moncur

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here are now more ways for you to access care at your medical practice.

Consultations are being delivered in a range of ways to help meet the needs of all patient groups, including face to face, eConsult online, telephone and video. When you call, you’ll be asked for more information from our practice receptionists, to help navigate you to the most appropriate service.

You should still not attend in person if you, or someone that you live with, have any coronavirus symptoms.

Ballateers

(Ballater & Crathie Community Choir)

by Linda Davidson

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e have resumed our choir practices for the Spring season, and as a reminder we meet on a Tuesday afternoon from 2 pm until 3.15pm approximately, in Glenmuick Church Hall (enter by the side door).

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At present we are concentrating on Scottish music, some pieces in unison and some in two or four part harmony.

We are also practising World War songs, as well as resurrecting some previous Church favourites.

This provides an opportunity to sing a variety of music, in the hope of attracting more members.

The previous article in the Eagle has resulted in a couple of new members, so we are very pleased to welcome them and hope they enjoy the fellowship which accompanies being part of our choir. If you enjoy singing why not come along and see if it is for you.

You would be made very welcome, and no offence would be taken if you decide not to continue! Whether you are a soprano, alto, tenor or bass, all would be welcomed with open arms!

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For further details please contact Linda Davidson on 013397 53804.

Thank you.

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Ballater Duck Festival There’s to be a Quack Back in Ballater!

Fantastic news! We Duck Festival Organisers have invited our huge duck friends to race down the River Dee again this year, and we are delighted to confirm that they have all already registered for the annual Ballater Duck Festival.

We have changed from our usual June date to Sunday 3rd July, to enable our ducks to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June. As well as the majestic Duck Race in July, with its accompanying Tote to allow a flutter on

the Race, there is intended to be the usual eclectic mix of stalls and onstage entertainment.

So put the date in your diary, spread the news to family and friends, and keep fingers crossed for good weather (although weather is of course not a problem for the ducks!).

There will be more detailed information in the next Eagle.

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A Walk in the Park, nearly... a circular of Tarland

by Katrina A Farquhar

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ust a few miles from the Cairngorms National Park is Tarland, a small village, traditionally a market town, dating back four thousand years.

The village has an attractive square with a very special war memorial, guarded by iron fencing. There is a choice of good local shops and eating places. On leaving the square, following the B9119 in the direction of Aberdeen, just at the 30mph signage there is a small car park on your right. This is where to park the car and set off on our walk.

It starts off in an old woodland and we follow the path to the left heading towards Alastrean House, formerly known as the House of Cromar. It was built in 1905 by Lord Aberdeen, as a country retreat for his wife, and was originally surrounded by 9,000 acres of agricultural land which made up the Cromar Estate.

The house was to be for the use of the MacRobert sons and their families, but sadly they never had a chance to use it.

We cross over the main drive to the house and follow the path right through the woods until reaching an avenue of beech trees. Follow this path up the hill and you will arrive at a very attractive stone-built seat, where you can stop for a wee rest to get your breath back and enjoy the view.

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a tarred road, turn right onto the road and follow this road until you see “Caroline’s Orchard” on your left, planted in 2008, with apple, pear, cherry and plum trees, most of them being heritage varieties.

The oldest is an apple called “Ribston Pippen” grown since 1707! Just along the road is the Tarland Bee Group’s community apiary; they sell great honey!

Carry on the road and walk through the Oldtown of Kincraigie, where most of the buildings are now dwelling houses. Follow the road to the end and turn right past the Mains of Kincraigie, then watch out for a path on your left, which follows along the side of the fields, taking you right across to the Tarland to Aboyne road.

Cross the road and walk up to the Tomnaverie Stone Circle. Tomnaverie is a recumbent stone circle, a kind of monument found only in north-east Scotland. The characteristic feature is a large stone on its side, flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west arc of the circle. The stone circle surrounds a burial cairn dating to about 4,500 years ago. The site appears to have seen use as late as the AD 1600s.

It’s situated in a landscape littered with remains of stone circles and burial cairns.

Leave the stone circle and walk southwest and there lies a relic of the Cold War era. What you see above the ground is the entrance to an underground nuclear bunker. This was staffed by local volunteers of the Royal Observer Corps and is one of a large network that existed all across Britain!! Follow the path here carefully as it goes down, then alongside a dyke, and through the dyke at the bottom follow along the field onto an old track. You then come onto the Ordie to Tarland road and crossing the road you are into Drummy Woods.

Keep an eye out for all the old cairns.

Follow the waymarked path through the woods and you will pass the cycle track car park then into Tarland. You can walk through the square or up past the school, then either back into Alastrean woods or

up the main road back to where the car is parked.

Happy walking - it should take about two and a half hours.

Ballater Business Association

by Duncan MacAskill

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uring 2021, as our local businesses battled against the headwinds caused by the pandemic restrictions, the BBA had a clear strategy. How did we do?

• we formed a small, committed and hardworking committee to deliver for our members; • we improved communications to our members and introduced a regular bulletin of news and ideas; • we continued to develop the VisitBallater.com website, adding community pages for local groups and an on-line box office to ensure more event proceeds stay within the village; • we appointed a social media champion, increasing social media followers by around 10%, increasing the number of posts by 200%, and increasing engagement and responses from followers by 5%; • we worked closely with other local organisations to deliver the very first Ballater Bike Festival and plans are being drawn up to make this an annual event; • we supported Amy Muir in reestablishing the Ballater Farmers’ Market with a full programme planned for 2022; • in collaboration with Braemar, we successfully applied for marketing funding, resulting in the excellent

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short films highlighting 6 trails in the East Cairngorms ‘Find your light’ promotion. You can view these under the East Cairngorms tab at VisitBallater. com. With this Marketing Fund we are showcasing members’ businesses through the website, social media, PR, and influencers. We have used a professional Videographer and Marketing Team and our campaign has received praise for its quality and will be included in Visit Cairngorms, Visit Aberdeenshire and potentially Visit Scotland. Not a bad return for a small membership fee; and, above all • we have proved that a positive, strategic approach works.

We are working on the 2022 strategy.

Whilst we plan to reveal this at the AGM, there are 5 key themes under consideration: • we need to increase our membership, as this demonstration of local support hugely helps in securing funding for future marketing. We are working on developing a tiered membership structure to better align the benefits of membership to businesses. Of the 100+ businesses in the area, 60 were members in 2021. We’d like to increase that to 75; • we also need to increase engagement with members. An open members’ meeting last year attracted the committee and 4 members. We also need more members on the committee; 2 or 3

new members would make a significant difference to sharing the load, for the benefit of every business; • we have initiated a plan to improve the utility and function of the VisitBallater. com website. It is a great vehicle for members to promote their businesses.

The more it is used and updated, the better it will become; • we shall be learning from our first year of active marketing through social media, and utilising the East Cairngorms material to target new visitor groups; and • we shall seek out and apply for more marketing funding to promote our lovely part of the world to visitors old and new.

I joined as Chair of BBA in the summer of 2020 for a two year period, as I wanted to help the business community survive through the, then unknown, difficulties presented by COVID. As we are now moving to the challenge of thriving whilst living with the virus, I shall be stepping down from the committee at the AGM in March. I should like to thank all our members and particularly the committee, for their support and continuing focus on making Ballater and the surrounding area such a vibrant place to live and visit.

I wish everyone of our members a prosperous 2022.

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Ballater Walking Festival 2022

by Jenny Macmillan

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he Ballater Walking Festival will take place from the 21st to the 27th of May, offering guided walks every day.

There are walks to suit everyone, ranging from strong Munro bagging expeditions, long valley rambles, and easy, themebased strolls. This year we increased the number of walks by starting the walks on the Saturday, and our programme went on-line on Monday 10th January. By the end of that day, all our moderate walks were full, and we had just a few places left on the easy walks! It seems that after two years of restrictions, people want to get out and enjoy our lovely area.

To accommodate as many walkers as possible, we have increased numbers on some of the walks, as well as the number of leaders and helpers, and we have scheduled an additional two duplicate walks. Walkers have been able

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to book online, thanks to the booking system and Ade Scripps in the Ballater Hub. A fun evening programme is also planned, including a meal, a talk and the traditional popular ceilidh.

This is an amazing event, which has been a key feature in the Ballater Events Calendar since 1998, growing in popularity from one year to the next.

It was started by BRD to lengthen the tourist season for the village and remains one of their projects. Many familiar faces return year after year and members of Ballater Community rally to lead or help on each walk. Leaders and helpers enjoy doing recces of the walks throughout the year and are invited to attend First Aid Refresher and Navigation courses, to ensure the safety of our walkers.

Come and join us - go to www.walkballater.com and check out availability! 

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Ballater Royal Horticultural Society

by Jim Clark

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he first Annual Exhibition of the Society was held in 1859 and, soon after, the Society was given its Royal Patronage from Queen Victoria.

An Exhibition has been mounted every year except for breaks caused by the two World Wars.

This was due to so many men being away, and many not returning, as can be seen on the War Memorial in front of Glenmuick Parish Church.

Also, in each of the last two years, 2020 and 2021, the Exhibition was cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic.

Now in its 163rd year, how many more years can the Society keep going without more support from younger members of our local community? Looking back on our members list for 2019, we had 53 full members of which only 14 were under the age of 75.

As our aging members are no longer able to assist in the way they once did, in the last few years we have had to ask for help from Her Majesty the Queen’s Royal Guard to set up and dismantle all the staging for the Exhibition.

Without this help we would have found it very difficult, especially when we expect to be catering for up to 600 exhibits on Show Day.

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As intimated in the last issue of the Eagle, myself after 14 years as Chairman, and Elizabeth Wilson after 10 years as Honorary Secretary, are both retiring at the AGM, currently rescheduled for Monday 4th April.

However due to unforeseen circumstances, Elizabeth had to step down as Secretary at the beginning of January. As a result, with no one to replace her, and the current pandemic, no plans have been made for the Plant Sale or Exhibition this year.

To conclude, I would like to thank Elizabeth for her support and help during my time in office, as well as taking over additional organisational tasks from committee members who were retiring.

The Society’s future is now very dependent on the next generation, with possibly a new format.

I hope it can be a new beginning for the Ballater Royal Horticultural Society and not the end.

The Douneside Health Club, located in Tarland, near Aboyne offers a range of excellent facilities. These include a 12.5 metre swimming pool, sauna, spa pool, steam room, state-of-the-art gymnasium and all weather tennis court.

In addition, there is an extensive range of fitness classes, all run by our team of fully qualified instructors.

If you would like to find out more about our memberships and some of the benefits, from an overnight stay at Douneside House, to complimentary fitness classes please contact us now.

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soon and accessible external electricity points and a water tap have been installed to facilitate events in the courtyard.

The Trust would welcome further enquiries for the use of the courtyard.

by Gordon Riddler

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he Trust held its AGM on Tuesday 25 January 2022 with around 20 members in attendance. Nine Trustees were re-elected: Lyndsey Boden, Bill Braid, Ed Bushnell, Dr Douglas Glass, Ian Hay, William Meston, Wallis Riddell, Gordon Riddler, Alan Ross: and the Trust was pleased to welcome Russell Hogg and Catriona Houston elected as two new Trustees. John Rutherford stood down as a Trustee and his support has been greatly appreciated.

As the pandemic restrictions ease, the Trust again welcomes the return of community user groups and others to enjoy much improved Hall facilities, reflecting a great deal of work completed during the COVID lockdowns.

Work on the basement improvements, heating, electrical systems and the Victoria Hall kitchen has been well received. The end is in sight for the installation of the replacement lift which should be completed by early March. The new community notice board will be installed in the courtyard very

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Projects funded by the Place Based Investment Programme are now underway and aim to be completed by mid-summer.

These include a bin storage platform so that unsightly waste bins can be taken out of the courtyard to improve the ambience of the Hall’s frontage. A new sound system will be installed in the Victoria Hall which will also undergo some decorative upgrading following design advice received from the Prince’s Foundation.

Storage has always been a problem within the Halls and plans are afoot to develop a new store in the basement below the Albert Hall Emergency Exit as well as for the playgroup equipment in the Mike Sheridan Room kitchen.

The maintenance group has also been engaged in improvements to the water heating and distribution, resulting in significant energy savings.

Other improvements have been identified to help run the Halls efficiently and keep them in good shape.

Improvements have been made to the website and both Facebook and Instagram are now being used more frequently, mainly for sharing posts by the various Halls users.

Facebook posts are now averaging 500 – 700 per post. Mail Chimp is now being used on a weekly basis to distribute the ‘What’s on’ guide created by the

happening at the Halls.

Hub Manager Ade Scripps.

The Victoria and Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust 300+ Club Draw in support of the Halls is moving forward and is open to further participants.

The draw is only open to members of the Victoria & Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust, of which membership is free, and you can become a member when you buy a ticket for the Club.

A single entry into the draw is awarded for every £10 donation to the trust each year, payable in advance, which enters you into the 4 quarterly draws in March / June / September / December.

You may buy multiple entries. Each draw will have prizes of £150, £100, £75, and £50 and the aim is to have the first draw shortly. Please help the Halls recover from the pandemic lockdowns by donating and getting tickets for the draw by visiting www.victoriaandalberthalls.co.uk/trustmemberships/, and clicking “300+ Club Tickets”, or contact any of the Trustees who can assist.

To become a member, use the same web address www.victoriaandalberthalls. co.uk/trust-memberships/, click “Membership” and complete the form.

Ballater residents and others continue to join, and having a strong membership does help with fundraising and also lets members know what is

The Halls are an excellent venue for weddings, parties, and events of all sorts, and are clearly an excellent asset for the community and others to use.

Therefore, if you have plans, please consider making use of the Halls. For more information go to our website www.victoriaandalberthalls.co.uk or visit the Hub. While this has been a difficult time due to the dramatic reduction in income, much is being achieved through the hard work and guidance provided by the Trustees.

You can help too. The Trustees greatly welcome offers of any amount of time to support the Trust to continue to deliver an attractive facility and to help organise events. Call or message 07711609351 if you have time to spare.

ALSO, YOU CAN HELP the V&A Halls at no cost to yourselves. When you shop via Smile.Amazon.co.uk at www.smile. amazon.co.uk/ch/SC043209 and select Victoria and Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust, it’s the same prices and shopping for you, and 0.5% of the net purchase price on eligible purchases for the Trust.

Thank you for supporting this important community facility. 

@TheHalls is a new Social Enterprise based at the Victoria and Albert Halls, Ballater.

It aims to host and attract more events and activities to the venue’s assets, to the benefit of the Deeside area, and increase revenue for the Halls.

Upcoming Events: Havoc @TheHalls Fridays: March 4, 11, 18 and 25 @TheHalls is running a trial of afterschool fun on all four Fridays in March, 3.15-5pm.

There will be runaround type games in the Victoria Hall, quieter activities like crafts etc in the Hub, and snacks and

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drinks will be available in the Victoria Hall kitchen for both children and parents.

The sessions are open to all ages, but we ask that under-5s are accompanied by a responsible adult.

Parents and carers are welcome to stay for a cuppa and chat, regardless of the age of the children. Left children must be collected at 5pm or allowed to walk home by arrangement.

Cost is £5 for the first (or only) child; £3 for any sibling.

If the sessions are successful, @TheHalls will look towards making them more regular and offer a wider range of activities.

Thank you in advance for your support.

It’s The Hall-idays! April 5-16 @TheHalls will be hosting a range of fun events for all ages during the Easter Holidays, from Lego Clubs to indoor Bouncy Castle sessions, and maybe some egg-related things, crafts or a film.

See the Facebook page: @The Halls Ballater, or email catthehalls@outlook. com for more details. 

Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

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Ballater Climate Action Network (CAN)

by Sabine Muir

T

hank you for all the items I have collected from the Ballater Community Hub. Just a wee reminder that people can drop off the following items at the Hub: - used postage stamps, inkjet cartridges, old mobile phones, used pens and felt tips, Tippex pots, highlighters, batteries and spectacles.

The stamps need to be cut with at least 1cm around the edges and will be given to the Braemar Shieling.

The ink cartridges (not laser ones) and old mobile phones are collected by Gregor Smith in aid of the Crathie Opportunity Holidays.

Cartridges can also be deposited at the Ballater Coop, the Braemar Coop, the Highlanders Bakehouse in Crathie or at Aboyne Academy.

Used pens and felt tips are sent to Terracycle for recycling.

Once collected, the writing instruments are separated by material composition, cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remoulded to make new recycled products.

Batteries can also be left in specially distributed plastic bags on top of recycle bins for collection. (These bags are available from the library)

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Images used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

Thank you very much to Ade and the Halls Trust for allowing us to do this.

Together we can make a difference.

The Ballater Coop now takes in soft plastics packaging. Please wash/wipe any food wrappers before depositing them into the special bin at the kiosk, near the window.

Spring cleaning? Consider taking items of furniture and bric-a-brac to Magpie in Banchory, so other people can find a use for them.

They also collect. Remember: ‘One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.’

Clothes can be taken to the CLAN charity shop, but if the items are not in great condition, they can be put into the clothes recycle bins at the school and at the back of the church.

Crisp packets can be saved up and sent to the Crisp Packet Project, which turns them into life-saving blankets for the homeless. It is a self-funded volunteer community project, based in Hastings,

giving life to one-use plastics and saving lives by recycling crisp packets into survival items. They work with homeless charities to distribute these items. For more information check out: www. crisppacketproject.com/Litter Pick Ballater CAN will be hosting a litter pick in the village in the Spring.

Look out for posters and social media for further details of the event. We have some exciting projects in the pipeline too. Keep an eye on our Facebook page (Ballater CAN 2021), for further information. 

Ballater Climate Action Network (CAN)

by Jean Peacock

CAN we help the regeneration of the Craigendarroch oak wood?

A

s many of you will know, a fair section of the Craigendarroch Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), of both historical and ecological significance.

Over the past years, several locals have expressed concern at the lack of oak tree regeneration taking place on the hill. Although the mature standing oaks appear healthy enough, there are very few younger trees – either saplings or seedlings, and those seedlings that do appear are swiftly browsed by small rodents, rabbits and deer. With permission of Invercauld Estate, who own the land, and Nature Scotland, who oversee its management, Ballater CAN has taken upon itself to see if they can help the regeneration process.

This is a multi-fold project which aims to: • Relocate naturally germinated seedlings which are growing in close proximity to and/or under the shade of mature canopy cover.

• Collect, plant and hopefully germinate acorns from the hill, to be later transplanted out in glades.

27 • Plant out a number of successfully

home-germinated seedlings from the hill, which have been donated by members of the public.

• Maintain the trees by monitoring and clearing, as necessary, competing vegetation such as bracken.

All acorns and seedlings involved will have provenance from the Craigendarroch Hill only, as required by Nature Scotland.

In order to give the trees the best chance of success, we will try to find glades which offer sufficient light and not too much competition from other trees.

In addition, the seedlings will be planted in small numbers together, and will be surrounded by individual tree protectors.

If, and when, the trees grow to a significant size, we’ll remove the plastic protectors and hope to construct better protection from the deer.

In order to engage local children, we have enlisted the help of Ballater Primary School.

One morning in October, members of CAN, together with the help of the P6/7s and the head teacher, set off to collect acorns on the hill. Unfortunately, the acorns were not nearly as prolific as last year’s crop, but with plenty of enthusiasm

and their keen eyesight, the pupils successfully built a fair collection.

The acorns are currently nestling in a cosy bed of soil and oak leaves from their native hill, partially exposed to the elements, but protected from their natural feeders by netting.

Fingers crossed we will have a good success rate of germination, so that we can plant them on and reintroduce them to Craigendarroch Hill.

If you would like to get involved in this project, please contact Jean or Scott Peacock via email at: scottpea58@gmail.com.

P.S. CAN has organised a Community Litterpick on the Saturday 14th May meetting at 2pm at the Hut on the Green.

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Ballater Resilience Group

by Linda Drever Tested Yet Again!

A

fter November’s storm, my intention was to write an article about the impact of Arwen on Ballater village and our outlying neighbours; the lessons we learned about being resilient; and about the cost, both physical and financial, of such wild weather. Instead, here I am today, February 4th, reeling from the impact of both Storm Malik and Storm Corrie with its sting in the tail, and recognising that some of our more unfortunate neighbours are still not yet reconnected to the national grid.

These storms have brought new challenges to residents and the Resilience Group alike as, unlike during Storm Frank when we had hundreds of villagers evacuated to the Halls, in anticipation of these storms, we were advised that it was safer for residents to remain in their own homes. Therefore, use of the Halls, when they had power, was mainly as a source of hot drinks, phone charging, and a place to have flasks and hot water bottles filled.

Endeavouring to ensure that everyone was safe was extremely challenging, compounded by, at times, having no power; no landlines; no mobile signals; no internet; and, for some, no water at all, never mind no hot water.

In order to be able to offer support where it might be most needed, we had to rely on villagers, both checking

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in on their neighbours, and coming to the Halls to tell us of folks they knew who might welcome some assistance. The Resilience Group racked our brains for memories of those visited during Storm Arwen, and again checked up on some of those folks over the weekend. These visits have led some villagers to believe that the Resilience Group holds some sort of comprehensive list of those who should have a visit during any village crisis (and indeed a few have been upset that they or a friend have not been visited). While it is currently not the case that there is a list, we have considered whether we should try to put a list together.

Let me explain some of the difficulties.

Any list of this nature can never be 100% accurate. For example, folk move out of the area, or indeed just move house within the village; or someone else may break a leg or have recently had a hip replacement and so be temporarily not as fit as usual. While some residents would find it comforting to know that, in a village crisis, they might have someone to check that they’re OK, others may resent the ‘interference’, however well-meaning, and see it as an invasion of their privacy.

Data Protection legislation would have to be observed, and, most importantly, individual residents would need to tell us if they wanted to be included on a list, and later, tell us if they wanted to have their details removed.

It would be really valuable to have your feedback, together with contact details, which would help us work out whether holding such a list would be viable and welcome, especially since it would entail quite a lot of extra work. Comments can be posted through the letterbox

of the Albert Hall, handed in at the Community Hub, or emailed to the Eagle at eagleballater@gmail.com.

Coming back to the recent storms, the Resilience Group continue to be amazed by the resourcefulness shown by Ballater residents; their fortitude; their ingenuity; and, above all, their care for each other.

Next time, you might be able to offer the loan of a generator for a couple of hours; share the use of your gas hob to heat soup; offer use of an analogue phone; or, if you have a chainsaw certificate, cut up logs for someone who has a fallen tree in their garden. The Resilience Group would be more than happy to keep a record of this type of offer. In whichever ways the power outages affected you personally, we have all had to face unexpected challenges, and I’m sure most of us will

now have a Must Buy List or a To Do List to make sure we’re better prepared next time, because undoubtedly there will be a next time, though hopefully not any time soon. Some residents, without power after Storm Arwen, found an unexpected silver lining by throwing impromptu BBQ parties, (sadly, I wasn’t invited to any of them…maybe next time).

Let’s celebrate the glorious January weather we did enjoy, make the most of the longer days and, above all, Stay Safe!

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Ballater Library

by Sue Dewhurst

B

allater Library has been very happy to see a growing number of borrowers back in the library and using its facilities through varying stages of COVID protection measures and staffing changes.

Where would we be without a winter dip into a sunny mysterious adventure, picking up a new skill like calligraphy, water-colours, learning new recipes, or exploring Buddhism? There is no end to the strings you can add to your bows.

The children’s section of the library is a very welcoming area for children to choose books to borrow and read at home or in the library, or have parents read to them.

We are open for browsing and some services, including computer use and printing with our new system Princh, whenever Visit Scotland is open. You can issue books to yourself on the self-service station, or even with a Spydus app on your phone! (Ask staff if you need help with this, or indeed with anything else.)

You can return books by just putting them in our Returns box.

Borrowers have also been making use of our book reservation service; however, we need to be staffed to issue reserved books to borrowers.

The Scolty group have been tireless, delivering books to our housebound borrowers, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the group.

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Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

Visit Scotland is open: 10am until 5pm every day during the winter, and the library is currently staffed Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 10am until 2pm, and Thursdays for Click and Collect 2pm until 5pm.

Open times will be expanding soon.

Please look out for posters at the Station building, where the Library and Visit Scotland reside, and the Coop. Also you can telephone our centralised number 01467 532929, or check this publication, the Ballater Library Facebook page, or our website: www.livelifeaberdeenshire. org.uk/libraries/ where you can also see the other services provided.

We are excited about recruiting new staff, extending our staffed hours, and reintroducing events such as Book Bug, and Reading Groups. Any ideas are welcome. We look forward to cementing and promoting our integral role in the community, and welcoming new borrowers of all ages.

Come and see us soon!

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History Focus Calgacus: Local Hero from Long Since

by Neil Allan

O

ne of the little things about Ballater is the pride in its autonomy: we want to be particularly aware of local things.

The Local History Group is a great group about the past on Upper Deeside.

We should celebrate that the first “Scot” known to history is a local figure, very local indeed, who took on the might of Rome. The little known Calgacus, was leader of a Pictish confederation that came together to fight the Romans at the huge battle of Mons Graupius in autumn 84AD. Our locals were beaten, but 20,000 survived to fight another day.

If Calgacus gathered 30,000 to fight as is said, that is some feat of organisation.

Try getting together now all men in Aberdeenshire between ages 16 and 45: would there be 30,000?

For someone who died about 1900 years ago, we know a lot about Calgacus.

The name might be a throw together: “Calgach” in Gaelic is prickly, fierce.

The wonderful Roman historian Gaius Cornelius Tacitus is our only source – but what a source. In the life of his father-inlaw General Agricola, Tacitus tells us Calgacus came from “Devanha”.

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Some say that might be Aberdeen, but I have a better candidate: Loch Davan, only about six miles from Ballater. The hut circles nearby at New Kinord are large. Forget about them being animal pens. Early Scots in 3825 BC could erect a timber hall eighty feet long and forty feet wide at Balbridie, on south Deeside opposite Crathes.

So why could their successors 4000 years later not put up round houses 60 feet in diameter? No problem.

Where is “Mons Graupius”, the “Graupian” mountain? (Later transcribed by a medieval monk as “Grampian”, hence the range of hills all around us.)

Nobody knows, except it is in northern Scotland. Tacitus tells us it was near a curiously shaped hill. In 1975, when a Roman marching camp was identified at Durno near Pitcaple, (nothing to be seen on the ground), supposition of course turned to the nearest curiously shaped, breast shaped, hill – Bennachie.

The fortifications we know there are later, but a fort could have existed then.

Recent scholarship shows Roman camps from Agricola’s time in profusion across

Perth, Angus and Aberdeenshire - Ardoch near Auchterarder, a big fort; Inchtuthil near Meiklour on the way from here to Perth: Carpow a naval base on the Tay near Newburgh, Fife; Raedykes near Stonehaven; and Normandykes near Culter: all Agricolan, and all carefully located to seal off the glens.

The real wonder of Calgacus was his eloquence. He would have spoken an early form of what now survives as Welsh.

But the words attributed to him by the Romans, Latin version, rings out over the ages; “ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant” translates as “the Romans say they bring peace. They create a desert, and they call it peace”. Did Calgacus really express the sentiments that Tacitus puts in his mouth? No. Earlier Tacitus calls Calgaus men “the last men on earth, last of the free, sheltered by our very remoteness.”. Would it ever have occurred to Calgacus that Devanha (Deeside), was remote? Is there is a north easterner then or now who doubts that this is the very centre, the epitome, of civilisation?

After Mons Graupius, “Alba perdomita erat, et statim omissa”. Look at the economy of the Latin language. Scotland was “perdomita”, i.e. thoroughly conquered: “et statim omissa”, “and immediately thrown away”. What is Alba”? Not just Alex Salmond’s latest creation. Tacitus wasn’t on about that.

Tacitus meant “Scotland”, or round about. Agricola recalled, given a triumph, was rapidly retired.

Tacitus never sat at the feet of Calgacus at New Kinord. When he wrote, in 98 AD, it was to contrast the brilliant eloquent Calgacus, who nevertheless was beaten

by Agricola, with the reign of terror 81

to 96 AD by Domitian, the Emperor who retired Agricola. Domitian was safely dead by 98AD. What wise leaders and doughty foes Rome used to overcome.

So Calgacus seems such a fantastic local hero for all our ages. in that his feats of brilliant organisation have magic speech woven round them. A local hero indeed, and of Deeside, for all we know.

More worthy of celebration than plastic imitations from, for instance, Game of Thrones, or video games. 

Ballater & District Men’s Probus Club

by Ron Drever

O

ur Probus Club managed to hold our meetings between September and December last year while respecting the in force Covid guidelines, and it proved well worthwhile, as every speaker gave such an interesting and informative presentation, enjoyed by all.

However, as a result of increasing Covid infections towards the end of the year, and the projected continuing increase following the festive season, it was decided to cancel our January meetings.

In view of the improving situation and the consequent relaxation of restrictions, we shall be restarting in February with a programme of speakers on a variety of subjects which again promise to be interesting and informative. As well as our regular meetings, our bowls and walking groups have also restarted.

Any gentleman retired (or partially retired) from his main line of business, living in Ballater and Upper Deeside, and who may be interested in joining our Club, is invited to contact me by email at: thedrevers@ btinternet.com.

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by Crathie School Pupils Remembrance Service We went to Crathie Kirk to take part in the Remembrance Service to remember all the people who died in the wars. Marley and Skye did a reading at the service. After that we laid our poppy that we had made, at the cenotaph at Balmoral.

School trip to Aberdeen We had a Christmas school trip to Aberdeen. We went to the Maritime Museum and then we went to His Majesty’s Theatre to watch Beauty and the Beast.

Christmas Play Our school Christmas play this year was called Stargazers. It was about the Nativity and the wisemen who watched the stars and when they saw the sign they travelled to the birth of Jesus. We recorded it on the school iPads and then our families and carers could watch it at home.

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Ballater Platinum Jubilee 2022

by David Cobban

2022 is a very special year, as it marks the 70th year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A “Ballater Platinum Jubilee – 2022” committee has been formed to plan some celebrations to mark this historic event.

The formal Jubilee celebrations will take place in early June, and the current programme of events planned in Ballater includes the following: •T hursday 2nd June – Lighting of the Queen’s Jubilee Beacon on the Village Green, this being part of a national event across the UK. It is also intended to have some musical entertainment as part of the Beacon lighting ceremony.

• F riday 3rd June – a Jubilee Service of Celebration in Glenmuick Parish Church. It is intended to have some musical and choral entertainment at this event. In the evening, Ballater Films are having a Jubilee Film Show in the Victoria Hall.

•S aturday 4th June – Jubilee Horse Racing on the Village Green from 11am to 1pm.

In the afternoon there will be a 1952 themed Jubilee Afternoon Tea in the Victoria Hall from 2pm to 4.30pm. In

the evening, it is hoped that there will be a live screening of “The Party at The Palace” in the Victoria Hall, where people can enjoy watching the live concert in a party atmosphere.

•S unday 5th June – a Jubilee Street Party on the Village Greens, from around 12 noon to 5pm. This event will have some live musical entertainment, along with the planting of a Platinum Jubilee Tree near the Church.

In addition to this full programme of entertainment, there will be a Jubilee exhibition of photos etc. in the Community Hub during Jubilee Week, and it is hoped that Shops, Restaurants and Businesses will be encouraged to decorate their windows with a Jubilee theme.

There is a “Ballater Platinum Jubilee 2022” Facebook page now available to provide more details of the individual events, and advise how to buy tickets etc.

If anyone wishes to get involved in helping to organise some of the Jubilee celebration events, or if you feel you could be part of the entertainment, then please get in contact for more details on 07917 186622 or by email at: dgc@ mccueporter.com

Crathie Community Project

By Geoff Feeney

W

e are progressing things in Crathie, with people very active on the Crathie Community Facebook page.

Several organised walks have already taken place with more planned over the coming weeks and months.

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Pop into Laurie & Co to arrange a free valuation Crathie Resilience Group. Since Storm Arwen and the subsequent upheaval that followed, much has been said and reported.

Locally here in Crathie many recognised the shortcomings, and suggestions were offered on how we might improve in preparation for future events. As part of our get-together, Mike Forbes offered to attend.

Mike has been instrumental in previously help formulate the Ballater Resilience Plan, and is more than willing to help us with our set up and future planning SOLICITORS

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Pottering About with Stella Potter

A

fter the seasonal festivities I thought I’d better attend to the new regulations for integrated fire, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in my home. I read as much as I could about it but couldn’t find all the answers to my questions. (I’m often saddened that the ‘frequently asked questions’ section in websites don’t have the answer to mine, despite scrolling all the way through. Perhaps I just have imponderable questions?)

Anyway, I posted some of them in the Ballater & Crathie Community Facebook group, and I was blown away by the very helpful suggestions and advice with which members responded. Having decided that I was going to ask the Fire Service for advice on their perspective too, a lovely local tagged her husband.

The next day he turned up at my door, wearing a Fire Service jacket. He had printed out info and, although he couldn’t come in, he spent time asking me questions and offering useful fire safety advice. For instance, although I don’t do it, it’s apparently not a good idea to charge your mobile overnight. I’d spent what felt like years nagging my daughters not to leave their laptops charging on their beds, but never thought of any fire risk from their charging mobiles. It’s all a long way from my childhood,

41

where it seemed the biggest fire risk was getting too close to the fire in one of those horrible nylon nighties. It was a relaxed, friendly and very useful conversation.

So huge thanks to David and the community group.

Last November, on a gloriously clear and stunningly beautiful day, I went to the top of a Munro to conduct an elopement. As I’m not fit enough for Munro-bagging, I was assured I wouldn’t have to walk up, as transport would be provided.

I assumed we’d be going up in a Landy, not realising there were no tracks or paths to the top.

So, instead of the relative comfort of a Landy, I went up on the back of the groom’s quad and down on an Argo. What an adventure!

I was somewhat sore after hanging on for dear life as we bounced along heather,

stones and streams at sometimes precipitous angles. However, I was so privileged to be able to marry the couple at the exact spot they got engaged, and actually get up a Munro. What a day! I shared the adventure with colleagues, and a few days later received the following message from a well-loved colleague who is a retired Paramedic.

“Stella, I have to share last night’s dream with you. I was back as a Paramedic and was flying around the top of Ben Nevis looking for someone who was missing. I was dangling from a rope when my phone rang. It was another colleague saying we had a Humanist alert that Stella was stuck on the top of a mountain! I answered, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help her!’ and got the Search and Rescue helicopter to divert and head to where you were, me still dangling and feeling like Superwoman.

We saw you on the top of this mountain, and it seemed like Kilimanjaro as it was way above the clouds. We circled round and they dropped me down beside you and landed.

You sat us all down and refused to get in the helicopter as it was not environmentally friendly and gave us all a lecture. When you were finished with us, we got back on the helicopter and they dropped me off in my garden!

I am still laughing! My husband said I was shouting ‘Hang on Stella, I am coming!’

Unsure if I have delusions of my own grandeur and think I can save the world or what, I’m still trying to find the moral of the story!”

After crying with laughter, I wanted to know if they just left me there after my

inappropriate, yet not completely out of character, lecture – yes they did!

Serves me right! However, I’d been hearing anecdotal evidence that many folks had been having very weird dreams after their Covid boosters, and she had, indeed, just been boosted.

So, I guess the moral of the story - apart from a heads-up to me to be situation appropriate with any environmental lectures - is that good folk will always try to help, and that my hilarious colleague is certainly one of life’s good people.

So may we always be surrounded by good people, prepared to go out of their way to assist others, and strive to be better people ourselves.

Fabulous humour is a wonderful addition. I’ll drink to that, Cheers! 

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Ballater & Crathie Community Council (BCCC)

by Richard Frimston

Flood Issues Group (FIG) January 2022 Update 1.Scottish Flood Forum, Property Level Protection Exhibition in Ballater Property level protection (PLP) is a crucial way of protecting your property from rising water levels. These rising water levels can be due to surface water run-off after intense downpours, which seem to be becoming more frequent, a rising water table following a continuous rainy period, or the river over topping or breaching its banks. River flooding is by far the most dangerous to life.

Floodgates are the most obvious prevention measure. However, there is much more to a robust property level protection than floodgates. Drains and toilets can be points of water ingress and there are many devices on the market which can provide effective seals and prevent water ingress and damage to your property.

Following a request from the Ballater and Crathie Community Council (BCCC), Aberdeenshire Council (ABCO) and the Scottish Flood Forum (SFF) worked with FIG to organise an exhibition of PLP equipment in the V & A Halls on 10th

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December. The event was publicised by FIG and was well attended, with a steady stream of residents visiting throughout the day. SFF and ABCO specialists were on hand for discussions with interested property owners.

Approximately 30 individual property owners requested a follow-up survey to review the specific PLP options for their properties. SFF and ABCO are currently preparing the programme for these surveys, and they will be in touch with the property owners as soon as possible.

These surveys should conclude with a report and recommendations. The surveys are free of charge. Anyone who did not register for such a survey and would like one, should contact the BCCC to register.

After the exhibition, Paul Laidlaw from SFF said, “The visit to Ballater was a great success with approximately 100 people visiting the property flood protection exhibition. Many people registered an interest in having SFF carry out a property flood protection assessment and we are planning to carry these out in March 2022. Property flood protection products cannot remove the risk of flooding, but they do help protect the property and reduce damage. The SFF give independent impartial advice on property flood protection and we look forward to working with the community to increase property flood resilience”.

A further exhibition of PLP equipment is currently “pencilled in” for early June 2022. On this occasion, the Flood Mobile (a specially adapted mobile home that showcases 50 examples of property flood resilience measures) from Flood Re will be visiting Ballater.

We should all keep in mind that sandbags “on the night” are a last resort and are

unlikely to be very efficient, especially if the placement method is not preprepared.

2.Ballater additional Flood Study Following last year’s February highwater event, and the associated change of river course and damage to the village bund, FIG engaged with ABCO to undertake a study and review a list of works which could potentially reassure residents. It is not clear following this event if the village is more exposed to flood risk than before - it is even possible that we may be less exposed. Unfortunately, as Ballater is on an active flood plain, this is not an exact science and it is not possible to be definitive when dealing with such powerful natural forces. With the urgency of the situation, FIG requested a quick study followed rapidly by work on the ground, as recommended by the study.

ABCO decided that some modelling is required to evaluate the changes since the last Ballater flood study, which will add some time to the study. However, ABCO fully appreciate the need for urgency and action on the recommendations.

A scope for this study has been agreed and the start-up meeting with the chosen ABCO contractor was held on the 13th January. ABCO have agreed to involve the community via FIG during this study.

(FIG will keep the community informed via the minutes of the monthly BCCC meeting minutes).

3.Spring community meeting in Ballater Storm Frank and the associated damage throughout the Dee Valley is becoming a distant memory. However, the subject of flood defences remains a priority for Residents and BCCC. Although no flood defences have been constructed, there has been much discussion between many

parties about how best to proceed.

The 2019 engineering study (feasibility level), engaged and supervised by ABCO following Storm Frank, concluded that the preferred ‘option’ (3A) would be to construct a 2.9km wall (combination of traditional hard defences and glass walls) on a line through the golf course and caravan park, continuing downstream of the Royal Bridge.

Currently, this option is with the Scottish Government for funding. A funding decision is expected during the second half of 2022 but the Scottish Government flood fund is heavily oversubscribed and the prospect of Ballater receiving funding is slim.

For context, it should be noted that ABCO informed us that, if funding is received, and there were favourable head winds, it could still be 10 years before works on the ground are complete. Even in this scenario, Ballater would remain unprotected for many years.

Considering the time lapse since Storm Frank, BCCC feel it would be appropriate to have a community meeting this Spring.

The objective of this meeting will be: • to present an update regarding 3A and the options moving forward, not only if funding is forthcoming but also if funding is not forthcoming.

• to enable residents to express their views and concerns.

The intention is to ask our MSP to chair this meeting and to invite all key stakeholders (ABCO, Councillors, SEPA, CNPA) so that they are directly informed of the current position and most importantly the range of views of Ballater residents.

More information on the Meeting will be provided when available. 

Ballater Highland Games

by Neil Bannister

O

n 14 December 2021, Ballater Highland Games was awarded charitable status by the Office of the Charity Regulator (OSCR), with Scottish Charity Number SC051450.

The Trustees wish to encourage membership of the Company, which is open to anyone over 16 years of age who supports its Charitable Purposes, the latter including annually holding the Ballater Highland Games.

A Membership Registration Form can be obtained from the Company Secretary by email at gordon.riddler@btinternet. com. To register as a member, just complete the form and return by email to the Company Secretary.

Alternatively, hard copies of the form can be obtained from, and returned to the Company’s registered office at Park House, Anderson Road, Ballater AB35 5QW. It is intended to hold Ballater Highland Games on Thursday 11 August 2022, subject to COVID restrictions. The Trustees will update on the situation in due course.

The Games Committee are looking for helpers in a number of areas on the day of the Games. If you are willing to offer any help, it would be much appreciated, and we would ask you then to contact Neil Bannister please by email at: gamessecretary@ballaterhighlandgames. com. Thank You.

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A letter from the Churches Dear Friends, The New Year has arrived with it bringing various storms. From the emergence of the Omicron virus, the shenanigans of some of the politicians at Westminster, and the wind whirling around, bringing down trees and cutting off power in a seemingly repeating pattern, it has not been the easiest start to 2022.

Yet once again, the communities have drawn together. Sensible precautions such as cancelling meetings and events have been made, even when there is no legal compulsion to do so. People are wearing their masks and taking steps to avoid transmission of the virus. Our local councillors and leaders have worked to disseminate information, draw attention to local issues, and help solve problems where they can. The local Resilience Team stepped up yet again, and neighbours, friends and relatives helped to look after the most vulnerable in our communities.

Our communities have firm foundations.

Adversity is tackled together. In a more and more individualistic world, the communities we serve mostly work collaboratively. This does not mean things are perfect – mistakes will be made, there will be miscommunication, and vulnerable people will escape notice.

This is not a perfect world in which we live. But it means that as far as we can, we seek to work as one.

47 Within our Churches, we express

Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

this as working as the ‘body’. No part of the body is more important or insignificant than the other. If one part is not functioning or not working, we are poorer. If other parts are strong, we all benefit. But bodies work best when the different parts work in harmony with each other, when parts are not neglected or overlooked. We do not get this right all the time in our Churches, but this is an ideal to work towards, a target at which to aim.

As we enter spring and look forward to the rest of this year, we encourage you to be part of the body within this community. To think of what you can contribute, instead of thinking of what you can do. To value and be grateful for all people do, small or large. If all of us contribute, however small you may feel that to be, our communities will benefit, now and in the future.

With every blessing, Rev Canon Vittoria Hancock, Rev David Barr. 

St Kentigern’s News C

hristmas has gone and Lent is fast approaching. Unfortunately, due to the latest Covid guidance we had to cancel both the ecumenical carol service and the Carols around the Crib on Christmas Eve. We may not have had our Crib service, but you will find one online to watch – church members from St Kentigern’s and St Thomas’ got together to record a zoom Crib service this year, definitely not serious or rehearsed. It is still online (https://youtu.be/rBAMow_ fT2M ) for anyone interested.

Thanks once again to the generosity of the Ballater Deli, we were able to distribute DIY Christingles to those who wanted them.

We are now looking forward to our Lent and Easter services and events. The Rector will be running a Lent course this year entitled ‘Living Life in all its Fullness’. The group will be meeting on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm, and any notes will be available by email or snail mail if requested. Our Lent Appeal this year is for the charity Mary’s Meals. This is a charity based in Scotland which works world-wide. It provides life-changing meals to some of the world’s poorest children every school day. They are a no-frills charity with a simple idea that works: by providing one good meal in a place of learning, children are drawn into the classroom where they can receive an education that could one day free them from poverty. They work with people

Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

of all faiths and people of none. Their vision is that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education.

Working together, they believe that can be achieved in this world of plenty. If you would like to contribute to the Lent Appeal, please contact the Rector.

Dates for the Diary: 2nd March 10.30am, Ash Wednesday Communion with Imposition of Ashes 10th March 10.30am, Lent Communion Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 17th March 10.30am, Lent Communion Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 24th March 10.30am, Lent Communion Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 27th March 9.30 am, Mothering Sunday Communion 31st March 10.30am, Lent Communion Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 7th April 10.30am, Lent Communion Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 14th April 10.30am, Maundy Thursday Service, St Kentigern’s Hall 17th April Easter Day, 7am, Sunrise Service at Sluievannachie 17th April Easter Day, 9.30am, Easter Communion. 

Ballater Community & Heritage Hub

by Ade Scripps

I

t’s been a very hectic few months since the HUB has opened.

On top of helping with all the events at the Halls, and getting involved with all sorts of projects, we have had a series of emergency situations.

We have been helping Ballater Business Association with their VisitBallater.com website, and, using its new Box Office feature, we have sold most of the tickets for this year’s Ballater Walking Festival, Ballater Films Events and many more.

If you have tickets to shift, come and let us know.

There’s also a community section for groups and societies. If you need help updating your pages, please contact us and we’ll sort you out. There is an event listing and calendar page, so if you are planning an event send us details and we’ll set you up on the website.

There is currently a display in the HUB of the history of the Newfoundland Dalmochie Camp with a video, and the plans for a proposed new Museum are available to view if required. Hopefully the Ballater Highland Games display will be complete soon, along with the new displays for the Ballater Local History Group.

We have also recently received a large stock of Covid lateral flow

49

Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

tests, so you can collect some when the HUB is open. There’s a recycling point for stamps, spectacles, ink cartridges and batteries. Ballater CAN has litter picking equipment available from the HUB so if you fancy a useful walk, pop in first.

Basically, we’re here to help…so contact us if help is needed. See our Facebook page, email: victoriaandalberthalls@ outlook.com or call 01339753871.

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Councillor Matters

by Peter Argyle

T

he now almost forgotten American cartoonist and journalist Kin Hubbard once remarked, “Don’t knock the weather; nine tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.” Certainly, we have weather of all shapes and sizes, and it is something rarely far from our thoughts, particularly as climate change is bringing ever more extreme weather events in its wake.

Storm Arwen will, I believe, prove to be one of those pivotal events that change the way we think and more importantly, the way that government in all spheres thinks and acts. ‘Unprecedented’ is an overworked word, but certainly the combination of loss of power, loss of most means of communication, roads blocked by fallen trees and loss of water supply all in one fell swoop, makes its use appropriate for Arwen. We are becoming, through policy as much as by inclination, ever more dependent on electricity and on IT-based communication; this needs a resilient electrical distribution network if we are to cope with storms of this kind in the future. A huge challenge for both government and SSEN. Aberdeenshire Council is also looking at the lessons learned from Storms Arwen, Malik and Corrie, identifying those things that can be done better when there is no power and no means of effective communication. But as is so often the case, the community response to the storms was exceptional, in Ballater

51

and across Aberdeenshire. So many responded freely to the needs of others, so much was achieved, and such tremendous generosity was shown in time and material.

Ballater has of course more experience of the impact of storms than most, and the experience of Storm Frank remains real and vital. I have been working with the Community Council’s Flood Issues Group (FIG) and the Golf Club to seek the Council’s support for an investigation into the potential impacts of some local interventions within and on the banks of the Dee. Discussions with council officers resulted in funding being identified and the commissioning of consultants was approved by the Area Committee in November. A key ask was that the community be involved (through FIG) in the work from the outset and this has been delivered. It is of course essential that the best possible advice and information is available to help design and scope any work on the river; unintended consequences locally or downstream must be avoided.

I well recall discussions at the Area Committee at the turn of the century about developing a long-distance footpath along the Dee. There was great debate about what it should be called before the sensible ‘Deeside Way’ was decided upon – Auld Deeside Line was one suggestion I remember. It has always been my ambition to see the Deeside Way not only completed to Ballater but extended to Braemar. I was

therefore delighted that the Infrastructure Services Committee agreed to part-fund, with the CNPA, the first section of this extension, from Braemar to Invercauld. As I write, tenders are being gathered and work should begin before long.

Covid remains with us and continues to have an impact for the Council and the delivery of services. Some staff are providing vital assistance to Health & Social Care where there are serious shortages of staff, particularly in Home Care, which in turn is impacting on the NHS. Within many Council services, staff availability means not everything can be done as normal. A great deal of work is being undertaken in schools and in essential services such as Roads and Waste Collections, to keep things on track. Although we appear (as I write) to be emerging from many of the restrictions, case numbers remain high and so the

impact of Covid on the world of work is still significant.

I have been exploring with the Planning Service the issue of Short Term Lets and how best to respond to the recent Scottish Government legislation. I will update the Community Council on this as work within Planning develops.

Finally, the perennial subject of dog mess which is yet again becoming a significant issue in Ballater and other communities.

The solution does not rest with enforcement, the Police or with the Council – it rests squarely with dog owners who must take responsibility for their pets and treat the roads, streets and parks of our communities with the same respect that they treat their own sitting rooms or gardens. Please do think about this and about others. 

by CEO Grant Moir

I

’m sure most readers of the Ballater Eagle will be well aware of the consultation exercises that took place during 2021, working towards the creation of the new Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) 2022-2027.

The NPPP sets out how all those with a responsibility for the National Park will co-ordinate their work to tackle the most important issues, setting a framework for all the public bodies delivering relevant functions here. This will be the fourth Partnership Plan since the National Park was established in 2003.

Every five years we create a plan that sets out the key priorities for the Cairngorms National Park. It is vital that we get opinions and thoughts from all the people, groups, businesses and organisations that live and work here, to ensure we focus on the issues that matter the most. The NPPP covers all areas of life and work within the National Park, from conservation to land management, local communities and the economy, to tourism and recreation.

I’m happy to report that we had a great response – with more than 1,400 individuals commenting during the formal public consultation phase.

This is just under five times the level of responses received to the previous Plan.

The figure was boosted by a strong showing from people living and

53

working in the area, with over half of all responses coming from Park residents.

Despite the Park Plan covering all aspects of life here – it’s the objectives based around nature and climate change that attracted the most responses during the consultation process. It shows how passionate people are about the future of the Park and specifically the climate and biodiversity twin crises. There were a good number of responses to the other main issues, for example, affordable housing, visitor management and public transport.

The CNPA was set up in 2003 to ensure that the unique aspects of the Cairngorms – both the natural environment and the local communities – are cared for, sustained and enhanced for current and future generations to enjoy.

So not just ‘protected’ but ‘enhanced’ and made better for future generations. It is great to have so many responses from residents but we must also remember that this is a National Park – it is not just for those of us lucky enough to live here – but for all of Scotland. So we need to think about national interests as well as local

interests and how we deliver a coherent and long term plan for the area.

Currently, amendments are being made to the draft Park Plan, before it goes back to the Park Authority board for approval.

It also needs to be approved by Scottish Government, and we expect all of this to be done by the summer, setting us on an ambitious course for the next five years and beyond.

Furthermore, during 2022 we will seek to finalise all the project plans for the development phase of our Heritage Horizons project. We are talking about significant transformational change here in the Park that will benefit people’s health and wellbeing, deliver on climate change, and enhance biodiversity. With funding from the National Lottery and a new National Park Partnership Plan in place, we are entering probably one of the most exciting eras for the Park since it was established. 

Contact Your Representatives...

Aberdeenshire Council Peter Argyle: 013398 82973 cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Geva Blackett: 07876 475269 cllr.g.blackett@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Paul Gibb: 07388 956148 cllr.p.gibb@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Cairngorms National Park Board Member: Geva Blackett.

Scottish Parliament: Alexander Burnett MSP 0131 348 5642 Alexander.Burnett.msp@parliament.scot

Westminster: Andrew Bowie MP 0207 219 2791 andrew.bowie.mp@parliament.uk

CSM Aerial Satellite J Lanigan

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Information from the

Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)

T

he CNPA has joined a host of other employers across Scotland to commit to the Young Person’s Guarantee, helping to create valuable job, training and volunteering opportunities. The Young Person’s Guarantee was launched in 2020 and aims to give all young people aged 16-24 the chance of a job, an apprenticeship, further education or training and suitable volunteering positions.

The CNPA is now a fully signed up employer and in doing so, has made a commitment to create and support a variety of opportunities for young people who are trying to establish their careers.

Kate Christie, Head of Organisational Development at the CNPA “We hope to support at least two paid internships annually and work with Inclusion Scotland and the BAME community to recruit an intern from within these communities. We will be offering to accommodate a Foundation Apprenticeship, offering

55

mentors to young people pursuing an environmental career and support work placements for young people on degree courses. We will also be offering the chance for more school pupils to take part in work experience here at the CNPA.” CNPA Board Convener, Xander McDade commented: “I am absolutely delighted that the CNPA has signed up to the Young Person Guarantee. We think it is vitally important that our young people see our National Park as a place they can live and work and that they don’t have to leave the area to pursue career opportunities as has often happened in the past.

For more information on the Young Person’s Guarantee please go to www. youngpersonsguarantee.scot. 

Musing

by Geva Blackett

L

ooking back on the past two years makes me realise how lucky we are to live in such resilient, close-knit caring communities here in Upper Deeside. We have been through awful times and Storm Arwen was most certainly an event none of us needed.

Who would then have predicted that within just two months we would be hit by not one but two more storms; each wreaking havoc, bringing down so many lovely old trees and plunging us into darkness again.

In almost every community in the Ward, residents have been on the ground providing support in many different ways. Each and every one helped on a voluntary basis without expectation of thanks, and it doesn’t matter how or what people did, or how long they spent doing it, we should all just be grateful that they did! When you do get a thank you, it’s wonderful. On my rounds around the Ward during the most recent power cuts, I delivered hot fish and chips to a very elderly lady – she was so pleased to get them she sang me a song! It was an experience I shall treasure for the rest of my life – I wonder if she knows how much joy she brought me and how appreciated I felt.

I am sure all of us who ‘got stuck in’ over these ‘weather events’ met people we otherwise wouldn’t have met, and from my perspective, these encounters have proved the silver lining to otherwise grim and dark ‘clouds’.

Community resilience is uppermost in many minds, and I absolutely agree it is vitally important. Communities have come together and helped each other – as with the Ballater Resilience Group immediately reacting to challenges

57

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none of us were prepared for, either in the voluntary or, it has to be said, the public sector. Like those of you who have expressed concerns to me, many of my fellow councillors have degrees of disquiet about how the Council dealt with these challenges and, rest assured, we will be airing them with officers in the appropriate forum.

Work around building resilience in every community continues, and as one of your councillors I am more than happy to be part of that. Braemar is hard at work developing their Plan, and next on the list is Crathie, who of course is part of Ballater and Crathie from a Community Council perspective, but is very wide spread along and up from both the North and South Deeside roads, bringing unique challenges. I am very pleased to have been invited along to a meeting to discuss how a contingency plan can be developed, with Mike Forbes bringing his much welcome expertise to the table.

I look forward to being part of that developing plan.

Resilience of course means making sure people can be warm in adverse conditions like the storms. I totally understand the need for us to cut our carbon emissions but I have to say I am very concerned that we are hurtling down a path that is totally dependent on electricity. It doesn’t matter if it is storage heaters or ground source heat pumps, ultimately they all depend on electricity, and until we have a resilient

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power supply we should be very careful about what we are doing. With rising costs of everything from food to fuel, many families will be struggling to keep warm and to eat.

I am not comfortable with that situation.

People need a backup heat source, and for many I fear we have already gone down a path of depriving them of that – I hope it’s not too late and am certainly making my views known, I hope to some effect.

Resilience also means being able to pick up the phone and call for help if someone is ill or there is a fire. With BT going totally digital in a few years’ time, that will not be possible if the power goes out - the landlines won’t work because the old analogue system will be gone. I have taken this up with our MP Andrew Bowie, as it falls within his remit. If you are worried about how you would manage with no landline and no power, you can email him at andrew. bowie.mp@parliament.uk. The more communications he receives, the more his hand is strengthened.

In other matters, the Ballater Old School housing has been struggling with SSEN to actually deliver on their commitment to get power into the site. So far, SSEN have failed to meet every deadline they themselves have set. Grampian Housing have been continually let down, much to their frustration, as have Gordon Mitchell and his team who are trying to finish the work, so that the beautiful new housing can provide much needed affordable homes!

The pressure is now on SSEN from every direction, but the wait will be worth it, I promise – I just hope it’s finished soon.

Community owned housing is another path to providing the much-needed accommodation we need in an area where every house on the market seems to be snapped up at prices that are unaffordable to most! I have spoken

59

to a Ballater Business Association member about the journey we are taking in Braemar with our ambitious project to provide fifteen new homes and have said I am more than happy to help in Ballater when a site can be found and agreed.

As regards the Cairngorms National Park, there is a lot of hard work to be done before finalising the next National Park Partnership Plan, as there are areas of the draft Plan that need to be reworked before it is ready to send to Ministers for approval.

That will no doubt generate considerable debate amongst Board members who do not necessarily share the same views.

Finally… You may be aware that there are Council elections again on 5th May. Whatever happens on that day to those of us standing, Cllr Paul Gibb has indicated he will not be standing again. Now Paul and I did not get off to a very good start, I will confess. But over the months we shelved any differences we had (actually we discovered we have far more to unite us than to divide us, as we are both committed to our communities) and consequently have worked incredibly well together.

We have very different ways of working and very different talents, but when we combined efforts, we achieved far more! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Paul for all the work he has done for the Ward and for all the help and support he has given me personally.

He is a man of integrity and diligence, incredibly hardworking and dedicated to the area. I for one will miss him (but I have his home phone number and won’t be shy to ask for help or advice if needed!!!)

My mobile number, if you need me, is 07876 475 269 and my email is: cllr.g.blackett@aberdeenshire.gov.uk – or you can find me on my Council Facebook page.

Deeside & Kincardine Cats Protection

By Janet Bailey

A

lthough we hoped for better times in 2021, continuing Covid restrictions affected fundraising, and in common with other charities throughout the country, this was mainly completed online rather than at public events.

A ray of hope presented itself when attendance at the Ballater Winter Festival was arranged for the last weekend in November. Unfortunately, and as we all know, the effects of Storm Arwen were far reaching, and the Robert Burns famous quotation came to mind “the best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men gang aft agley.”

Just like the weather, Covid lockdowns and restrictions have brought long-term difficulties, with animal welfare cases increasing exponentially since 2020.

The branch is now busier than ever, and we are seeking to recruit cat fosterers, both indoor and outdoor. If this might appeal to you or someone you know locally, then please get in touch. New volunteers are always most welcome.

Work to rescue and re-home unwanted cats and kittens and the neutering of feral cats continues as usual. Neutering of domestic cats is also something with which the branch is involved. Practical and financial assistance will always be given to anyone who has need of it.

61 As ever, these undertakings cannot

Image used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

be accomplished without public support, and the branch sends a big Thank You to all those who have helped us along the way.

Follow us on Facebook: Deeside and Kincardine Cats Protection Telephone: 07837 342660 Email: deeside.cats@gmail.com #adoptdontshop

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Crime in Ballater

By Dr Helen Miskelly BVSc MRCVS

B

allater seems to have a higher crime rate than other villages on Deeside.

What is this crime? Dog poo. Having recently moved here from further down the Dee valley, I’m shocked and disgusted by the amount of dog poo on pavements, paths and grassy areas of this beautiful village. Instead of taking in the stunning scenery, I’m constantly having to watch where I put my feet! It’s spoiling Ballater and I’m not the only one to think so. My festive visitors were as disappointed as I am and I’m sure other residents are too.

Under the Dog Fouling Act 2003 (Scotland), “It is an offence for a person in charge of a dog, who, after allowing that dog to foul, fails to clear away and dispose of the excrement appropriately.”

Not only is this excrement (poo) really unpleasant, especially when stuck between the treads on the sole of a boot, but more importantly it poses a serious health risk to other dogs, humans and livestock. Dog faeces poses a greater threat than other types of faeces, including human, since dogs are natural scavengers and will often eat faeces of any type, remnants of dead animals and raw meat. As a result, it has a much higher bacterial level and can contain dangerous parasites, with the ground surrounding a pile of dog

63

Images used with kind permission Vecteezy.com

faeces remaining contaminated with worm eggs for years.

If you are a dog owner and don’t pick up your dog’s poo, it could transmit potentially deadly diseases such as Parvovirus, Salmonella, E.Coli and Toxocara; could cause your loyal companion to die; and may be the cause of severe illness or death of someone else’s beloved pet or even worse, their child. Is that something you would want on your conscience?

There is NO excuse. Ballater has numerous bins into which dog poo can be thrown away.

Sadly, there appear to be repeat offenders. Dogs are creatures of habit.

Every dog owner will know how many poos their dog has per day and the approximate timing of their evacuations.

If they haven’t already been in the garden, they will do a poo on their walk, usually a certain distance from the house.

Therefore, the clusters of similar sized piles of dog poo in a certain area, or along a certain road, could have been deposited by the same dog.

A dog owner will not get away with saying that they didn’t see their dog go, even

if they’re walking under the cover of darkness or if the dog is ambling along behind them. The dog should continually be observed or kept on the lead until they’ve been, so that the owner can pick up the poo and bin it. Then the dog can be let off. If out of sight, then the dog is not considered “under control”, which is also a legal requirement.

Not only is it NOT acceptable for a dog owner to ‘pretend’ that they haven’t seen their dog go, or even worse, to ignore the steaming pile, it is ILLEGAL. The Dog Warden will be monitoring the area, with the help of volunteer Poo-Patrollers, to issue a fine or follow the dog owner home. According to the Dog Fouling Act, “the evidence of only one witness is sufficient”. Gone will be

anonymity. Neighbours and friends will then know who is a petty criminal and who will be held accountable.

It is the responsibility of each dog owner, so PICK IT UP! You have been warned…

How do I know all of this? I’ve been a vet for the past 25 years and have seen the upsetting consequences. I have two dogs myself and always make sure I have a roll of poo bags in my coat pocket before I take them out for a walk.

I feel proud and fortunate to be a resident of Ballater. Why don’t all local dog owners? 

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Ballater Victoria Week (BVW)

By Cat Houston

B

IG thanks to everyone who took the time to vote in our poll on Facebook in late January to establish what “the village” (local and global) would like to see in terms of BVW 2022 and moving forward generally.

The response was heavily weighted and really encouraging. 210 out of 220 respondents said they wanted to see a large-scale full-on event, with just seven preferring something “ Lite”.

So, here's the crunch - we can't do the large-scale events such as the Parade, Cartie Race or Sunday Fair without more folk and fresh faces, i.e. new blood! If just 10 of those 210 (less than 5%!) were able to put their hand up and step forward, we would have more of a chance of continuing to produce the uniquely bonkers spectacle that is BVW. It could be you. You may even have a new idea or approach to make the week even better. We'd love to hear it.

Our BVW Brainstorms generally take place on the second Thursday of the month (so March 10th, April 14th etc) in Ballater Community & Heritage Hub at 7.30pm.

All are welcome (whether you had cast a vote or not) and there will be 10 empty chairs to fill.

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You don't have to do something huge like carry a parade, or Lady Godiva down the street; just pin down a gazebo, or babysit the Hub for a few hours during the week, selling tickets and pointing people in the right direction.

If you can't make the meetings, email info@ballatervictoriaweek.co.uk and let us know what you'd be willing to do (even if that's just to show up).

Be Amused.

Retail Pharmacy & Veterinary Supplies Your friendly local community pharmacy Delivering Quality Patient Care + Customer Satisfaction since 1897 10 Bridge Street Ballater 013397 55409 

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www.wdavidson.co.uk

Ballater Masonic Lodge

By Jim Sansbury

Work started in November ‘21 with the removal of all furniture and decorations from the main hall of the Lodge.

Due to a very large crack in the ceiling, the whole lath and plaster ceiling had to be removed and replaced with plaster board, whilst preserving a very delicate cornice that surrounds the ceiling. At the same time electricians rewired the main hall, making provision for downlighters and heaters.

The whole roof was insulated, and at the same time a team of builders set about the painstaking task of repairing all the windows in the building.

Ballater Lodge, Queens Road

D

uring the recent Covid lockdowns all meetings at the Masonic Lodge in Ballater were cancelled.

For some time, the members of the Lodge have realised that the Lodge building was not in a very good state of repair, and that the interior decor was drab and showing its age.

Thus, it was decided to undertake a complete refurbishment of the building inside and out whilst it was lying unused.

With the rewiring complete, the decorators then commenced to strip off all the antiquated wallpaper and the varnish from the doors and wall panelling.

Once the surfaces had been filled and sanded, redecoration commenced.

While all this internal work was in progress, the roof of the building underwent a close inspection and any remedial work such as slipped or broken tiles was carried out.

With decoration complete, the final fixing of light fittings and heating was completed, and the new Masonic pavement installed on the floor of the Lodge.

Since relaxation of Covid restrictions, regular Masonic meetings have resumed in our splendid new surroundings.

All the members of the Lodge would like to thank the following people for their hard work and excellent craftmanship.

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Ballater Lodge prior to refurbishment.

Colin Burnett, Torphins - Major building works and window repairs. contd

We can shoot your kids Ballater Lodge post refurbishment.

Davie Crawford, Ballater. Slater and roofer.

Wayne Goodin, Midmar. Plasterer.

R. Davidson, Banchory.

Painter and decorator.

Ian Cruikshank, Lumphanan.

Electrical works.

Michelle Keynyon-Roberts, Tarland. Upholsterer.

Hang your Mother-In-Law or Mount your Partner!

Picture framing by appointment Ballater Call Martyn  07990 525173

History Focus Ballater in the early Nineteenth Century Part 1 by Ian Hay

I

n the course of going through documents in the Victoria Hall archive, I came across photocopies of accounts of life in Ballater by former ministers of the Church of Scotland in the village.

I am reproducing here some extracts from the account of the Rev. George Brown who was appointed to the area in 1791, having previously been an assistant at Newhills, Aberdeen. His settlement in Ballater was opposed at first because he was not a Gaelic speaker, the opposition being carried through to the Presbytry and the Synod to the General Assembly. The opposition failed however, and he remained as Minister of the United Parishes of Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn. His Parish Notes, from which this article is extracted, are the first historical account of life in Ballater in the early 1800s. In his notes, the letter “s” is signified by the current letter “f”, but for ease of ease of reading by 21st century readers, I have used the modern form of the letter. (Otherwise, this is the original text – Ed.) United Parishes of Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn County and Synod of Aberdeen, Presbytry of Kincardine O’ Neil By the Rev. Mr. George Brown Situation, Heritors, Extent, Surface etc.

These united parishes are about 40 statute miles W. of Aberdeen, which is the nearest poll town. The heritors are the Earl of Aboyne, the sole patron, James Farquharson, Esq. of Invercauld, William Farquharson, Esq. of Monaltree (sic), Charles Gordon, Esq. of Abergeldie, William Macdonald, Esq. of St. Martins, Captain John Macdonald of Gairnsdale, and John Erskine, Esq. of Achalatar (sic) Mr. Gordon of Abergeldie and

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Captain Macdonald are the only residing heritors.

These parishes form a very irregular figure, and are about 18 miles in length and 15 in breadth, and are intersected by the Dee, a large and rapid river abounding with salmon, and trouts of different kinds. The country is mountainous, and, in the upper parts very stormy in winter.

Agriculture Etc. The soil, in general is hot and shallow, but produces good grain, though proportionably, little fodder. Sowing begins about the middle or end of March, and reaping about the middle or end of August, except in the upper parts of the parishes, where the soil is cold and wet, and there seeding and harvest may be 2 or 3 weeks later. The crops are bear, oats, rye, potatoes and small quantities of flax. The arable ground bears but a small proportion of the surrounding mountains, which afford excellent pasture for sheep; and the people have hitherto paid more attention to their flocks than to their farms. Agriculture may be said to be only in its infancy here, but it is capable of very great improvements. And if the inhabitants would adopt and persevere in the spirit of industry which is beginning to appear among a few of them, I have not the least doubt but that in a few years, they would be independent of other countries for grain.

Several things are, indeed, against them; their country is open, and winter-herding is not known, or at least, it is looked upon as an intolerable grievance, and therefore not practised. Many of them have no leases on their possessions and the others but short ones, and which perhaps is worst of all, being accustomed from their infancy to a pastoral life, they contract a habit of indolence incompatible with a good farmer.

From the time that the harvest is over, which is generally about the middle of October, they neither yoke a plough nor do anything about their farms till the seed time comes on, when man, woman and child are employed in huddling over the work in the most superficial manner. And when the bustle is over, all concern about the farm is again laid aside till harvest begins. I speak this in general; there are a few excepted, who pay more attention, and whose farms make them very grateful returns.

Their farms, or rather crofts, are by far, too small, few of them exceed 12, and, in general they are contd from 5 to 8 acres.

It occurs to me, that the best means of improving the country, and exciting a spirit of industry among the people, would be to annex 2 or 3 farms together, and to have none under 20 or 30 acres, to grant leases of 19 years at least, to give the tenant encouragement to enclose, and trench balks etc. and even to give him for some time a small premium for the acre of good turnips or hay raised after turnips. This would have a tendency to raise a spirit of emulation, which would turn to the advantage of both the proprietor and tenant. By managing their ground in this way, the face of the country would be improved, a sufficiency of grain raised and the flocks better supported in storm than they are at present. For one acre of hay or turnips would go further in that way, than all the fodder that grows upon of their small farms by the present management.

I am aware of one objection against reducing the number of farms, and that is, that it would reduce the number of inhabitants also. This no doubt in some degree, might be the case, but if every tenant should be allowed 3 or 4 sub-tenants, who might be usefully employed about the farm, or in looking after the flocks, the decrease of population would be very little, if any at all. But I leave it to those who are more interested to determine whether it be better to allow the country to remain in its present unimproved state, and to foster the indolence of the people, or to lead them on by industry to improve the country, and their own circumstances.

Mr. Gordon of Abergeldie’s farm of Birkhall is an instance of what the ground in this country is capable of producing, when properly managed. He took this farm, which consists of nearly 100 acres arable, and about the same number of pasture among natural wood, into his own hands only a few years ago. He enclosed and sub-divided it with stone fences and hedges, levelled and straightened the fields; trenched up balks, and drained marshes; and now raises from it bear, oats, pease (sic), potatoes, turnips and hay, of as good quality as any in Aberdeenshire. The acre after turnips yields at an average, 8 bolls of bear, and the whole of the farm, under crop, gives the 6th return.

His garden produces as early, and well flavoured fruit as any in the N. of Scotland; apples, pears, plumbs (sic), cherries, gooseberries etc. And while Mr. Gordon farms to

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advantage, he has not lost sight of nearness and elegance; he has cleared away the rubbish of nature about his villa, and displayed her beauties, which are many, to the best advantage. But the example of Mr. Gordon, or of any gentleman, will never be attended with any good consequences to the tenants; they look upon all that he has done as the sole effect of money, and far beyond their reach. And until some active enterprising genius among themselves steps forward and sets the example, they will never go out of the old track; and this cannot be expected till they get leases upon their possessions. But if ever they shall be brought to pay more attention to their ground, I am certain a regard for their own interest will make them persevere; for the climate is temperate and the soil, though thin, is early and fertile. But while I accuse the men of indolence, I should do great injustice to the women, if I did (not) exempt them from the charge; by whose industry and diligence their families are in a great measure supported.

Their chief employment is spinning flax, sent up by some manufacturers from Aberdeen, which brings a great deal of money into the country. During the summer months, many of them manufacture their own wool into coarse blue, or tartan webs, which sell at 2 s. (shillings) or 2 s. 6d. the ell.

Manners &c The people are honest, economical, sober, contented and hospitable; very regular in attending upon divine worship and warmly attached to their country; their language is English, except in the upper parts of the parishes of Tullich and Glengairn, where some of them use a barbarous dialect of the Gaelic among themselves, but they all understand the English. Their size, in general, is from 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches high; they are stout made, healthy and capable of great fatigue. Fevers of different kinds prevail sometimes; but there is no disease peculiar to the country. The air is pure and dry, and reckoned very wholesome; and yet there is only one instance of extreme old age remembered here. A John Mitchell, aged 124, born in the parish of Glenmuick in 1598 and died in 1722; the date of his birth and death is still very legible on his tombstone. The fuel used here is peats and turfs from the adjacent hills; they are both good of their kinds, but attended with great expense, as they lie at the back of very steep mountains .

Advertisers’ Index: Aberdeenshire Electrical

12 Ian Rodger Architects

39

Aboyne Photographics

40 iFrame

67

Allan Milne Joiners

16 Julian Barclay

18

Alpine Tree Care

32 Larks Gallery

32

ASPC

06 Laurie & Co

39

Auld Kirk B&B/Coffee Lounge

10 Les Hall Chiropractic

46

Ballater Barkers

24 Lochnagar Coatings

46

Ballater Gallery

01 McCue & Porter

58

Balmoral Bar

64 Mike Buchan Electrics

11

Balmoral Castle

71 Morven Veterinary Practice

35

Brakeley Gift Room

42 Oil Heating Services

35

Brian Smith Funeral Services

26 Phoenix Chip Shop

08

Bruce of Ballater

14 Reiki with Fiona

40

BW Book Keeping

28 Roaring Stag/Tweedie Beasties 24

C.S.M Aerials/Handyman

54 Ronald Hay Architecture

05

Cairngorm Electrical Company 32 Rowan Jewellery & Gifts

60

Calvin Jones Paint & Decorator 36 Scott Thomson Joinery

55

Carnelian

45 SD Joinery

04

Corybeg Services

16 Sheridan’s

30

Darroch Learg Hotel

52 Shorty’s

61

Davidson Chemists

65 Speedwell Framing

40

Douneside House

20 The Hair Loft

08

DP Opticians

58 The Oven Valet

49

Flame Boiler Services

28 Transform Foot Health

56

Forbes Duguid

16 Waxed Cotton Workshop

62

Fountain Dental Group

50 WCP Architects

67

Fraser & Mulligan

26 Wee Jim Landscapes/Firewood 36

Highland Yurts

11

email: eagleballater@gmail.com

April 1st “Life at Balmoral” Exhibition Opens April 15th,16th,17th Easter Egg Quiz

coverage of all Jubilee celebrations

June 10th Othello outdoor performance

June 3rd Birds of prey

July 3rd Awful Auntie outdoor performance

June 4th Vintage Buses to shuttle & display

April 23rd-24th Run Balmoral

June 5th Leeds Pipe Band

June 2nd Ballater Pipe Band June 2nd-5th Balmoral Jubilee Afternoon Tea, with live

July 26th Peter Rabbit outdoor performance July 28th Twelfth Night outdoor performance

August 2nd June 9th Midsummer Night’s Dream close for summer season outdoor performance

Open daily from 1st April - 2nd August 2022 Exhibitions, Gardens, Castle Ballroom, Audio Guide, Café & Shop For further information

www.balmoralcastle.com